5 Tips to Maximize Bandwidth and Minimize Data Usage

Welcome to the remote world! COVID 19 has many people working from home and most children doing some sort of remote learning. Because of the widespread transition to remote work/learning, bandwidth can be strained now more than ever. Right now families may have one or both parents working from home as well as the kids relying on internet connectivity for online school work.

Your internet may face increased demand and be more strained now than you are used to. This can lead to decreased speed and connectivity issues.

We'd like to share 5 tips that you can implement easily now to maximize your internet bandwidth and improve you connectivity.

1. Reduce Unnecessary Streaming

Streaming of any kind (Music, Netflix, YouTube, etc.) increases data usage fairly dramatically. Video streaming is especially something to be cautious about when you need bandwidth for other tasks such as work or school. You can cut back on the data usage from streaming by watching videos in standard definition instead of high definition. Limit streaming when bandwidth is needed for more important and intensive tasks such as video conferencing for work or school.

2. Turn off WiFi on your Devices When Not Necessary

Even when not actively using WiFi on your devices (phone, tablet, etc.), your devices can still be sucking up your bandwidth. Turning off your WiFi on your devices when not using them can free up bandwidth.

3. Plug into your Modem

WiFi internet connections will never be as effective as plugging directly into your router via an Ethernet cord. It's not uncommon to get 100 Mbps or faster via Ethernet than what you would get from a WiFi connection.

4. Update Firmware and Software Regularly

If your software isn't up to date, you can suffer from some seriously decreased performance. Users who complain about the slowness of their devices, often find significantly increased speed after a simple update of both the software you are using and the firmware within your device.

5. Keep Anti-Virus Software Installed and Updated

Viruses can significantly decrease the speed of your device. Make sure you have anti-virus software on your device and it is updated to protect against viruses. Our partner Sophos Security offers premium home security available. You can learn more by clicking here.